Gas-meter.



. PATENTED OCT. 23 1906. A. S. J. WEIR & T. J. HENNING.

H No. 834.093.

GAS METER.

APPLICATION FILED Mus, 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEETJ.

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v ATTORNEYS ALBERT s. J. WEIR AND THOMAS J. 'HENNING, .FORNIA.

or SAN DIEGO, CALI- GAS-METER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 23, 1906.

application filed Kay 9, 1906. Serial No. 315,924-

T all whom it may concern/.-

Be it known that we, ALBERT S. J. WEIR and THOMAS J HENNING, citizens of the United States, and residents of San Diego, in the county of San Diego and State of California, have invented an Improvement in Gas-Meters, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention is an improvement in the class of so-called diaphragm gas-meters,

in which the casing or body of the meter is divided by a central vertical partition into equal compartments or chambers, each containing a ellows or expansible diaphragm adapted to alternately receive and dischargfi a certain volume of gas and connected wit valves controlling the alternate inlet and outlet of gas and also connected with a register whereby the gas passing through the meter to the house service-pipe is accurately registered.

The invention is embodied in the construction of the bellows or diaphragm attachment as hereinafter described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fi ure,1 is a'vertical section of a meter provided with our improved diaphragm or bellows, the plane of section being on the line 1 1 of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the meter in a plane at right angles to the section shown in Fig; 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of a meter provided with a bellows attachment according to our invention, the same being attached to the partition of the meter in a, modified way. Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of the bellows attachment. Fig. 5 is a perspective sectional view illustrating in detail the form of the circular sections of the bellows.

The box oi casing A of the meter is rectangular, as usual in the class of diaphragm-meters.

B (see Figs. 1 and 3) indicates the vertical partition dividing the box or casing A into two equal compartments. In each of such compartments is arranged an expansible bellows C, and each of these is provided with means by which the valves governing the inlet and outlet of gas from the respective con1- partments of the meter are operated and also a registering apparatus, neither of which is shown, since they are common in the class of meters to which ours belongs. Such means comprise a flag, wire, or rod D, which is jour naled in the meter-easing and provided at its upper end with a lever or crank-arm d, which is in practice connected with valve and regismechamsm. The rod D is connected tering with the bellows C by means of armsor levers E, the same being fast on the rod and pivoted upon a cross-rod F, which is arranged m In s e, forming an attachment of the head 0 of t e bellows. As shown in Fig. 1, each of the bellows c is soldered or otherwise secured to the partition B.

- The bellows proper, C,is made of sheet-steel, and the details of construction are as follows: Theaforesaid head 0 of the bellows is formed entire or integral, and its circular edge is turned inward, as shown in Figs. 2, 3, and4. All the remaining portion of each bellows is formed of a series of annular sections 0;-

(See especially Figs. 4 and 5.) 'The outer and inner edges 0 of said sections are turned inward, but in opposite directions, so that they are adapted to overlap and fit upon the edges of adjacent sections, as illustrated best in ig. 4. Such la ping portions are preferably soldered toget er, and thus secured gastight. "Thus when the head 0 and the required number of sections 0 are arranged and secured together, as shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4,8. metallic bellows or diaphragm is formed,

,and the same has the required degree of flexibility, which allows it to expandunder pressureof gas and contract when relieved of such ressure.

of meters, the bellows in one compartment of the meter expands as the bellows in the other compartment contracts, the expansion and contraction being thus alternate, as shown. in Fig. 2, where the left-hand bellows C 'is contracted and the right-hand bellows is expanded, the flag-wires D being in such case rotated, andthereby caused to operate the valve and registering mechanisms with which As is well understood by those amiliar with the operation of this class,

sections must have a certain degree of rigidt staggered that is to say, the ribs or corrugationsof adjacent sections are not arranged directly opposite each other, but are at diflerent distances from the edges of the sections,

so that when the bellows collapses, as shown in the left-hand portion of Fig. 2, the adjacentcorrugations will not strike upon each other, but upon the body or plain surface of the opposite section. Thus the convolutions of the bellows are adapted to fit closer .together when relieved of the pressure of gas than would'be otherwise practicable.

In expansion and contraction of the bellows the ribs or corrugations prevent any snapping or,crackling of the metal, which would otherwise occur. In other words, they, so to speak, take up and let out,

and thus facilitate expansion and contrac-' tion, so that buckling or wrinkling and popping of the metal are avoided. The corrugations hence contribute greatly to durability of the bellows.

In place of soldering the bellows C to the diaphragm B, as indicated in Fig. 2, they may be detachably connected with the partition by a screw-joint, as indicated in Fig. 3. In other words, the inner heads 0 of the bellows may be provided with a screw-socket arranged centrally in the depressed portion of said heads and adapted to receive a screwthreaded tenon b, which is suitably attached to and projects laterally from the partition, as will be readily understood. This construction adapts the bellows to be readily detached should occasion require.

The heads and annular sections comprising the bellows may be cheaply manufactured by striking u the same in suitable dies from sheet-steel oi the required quality and resiliency. The bellows is very flexible and expands and contracts with great facility, While the bodies of the severa sections are rendered dulyrigid by the corrugations formed therein.

' We claim 1. The improved bellows for as-rneters formed of flexible sheet metal an comprising a head having its edge inturned and a series of annular sections al 0 having their edges curved inwardly, and alternately in opposite directions, the several edges of the head and the sections being overlapped and secured together, substantiall as described.

2. The improved bellows or gas-meters, formed of flexible sheet metal, comprising a head having its edge turned inward and a series of annular sections having their edges curved in opposite directions, the several edges being fitted and soldered. together and the head and sections provided with circular corrugations which are staggered so that when the bellows collapses the corrugations do not strike upon each other, substantially as described.

3. In a bellows for gas-meters, the combination, with a sheet-metal head having its edge inturned, and the partition of the meter, of a series of annular sections formed of flexible sheet metal and having their edges curved reversely, or in opposite directions, and secured together, the inner sections being attached to the partition and all of them provided with corrugations which are staggered, or out of register with each other, substantially as described.

ALBERT S. J. WEIR. THOMAS J. HENNING.

Witnesses:

C. W. WIGGINS, RoY E. THOMPSON. 

